Charlie Heaton’s History With Drugs: How Love Story With Natalia Dyer Changed His Public Image Completely
Charlie Heaton faced a major challenge in his career when he was detained at the Los Angeles International Airport in October 2017. He was stopped after trace amounts of cocaine were allegedly found in his luggage, but he wasn’t arrested or charged with any crime. However, tabloids immediately caught wind of the story, and his private life was all over the headlines.
However, his love story with Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer helped him recover from the drug possession allegations. While he and Dyer were allegedly a couple way before the drug possession allegations, he hard-launched the relationship right after the airport scandal.
A few days before the airport detainment, he and Dyer were spotted in New York City, holding hands as they walked on the street (via Elle). A few days after he was denied entry into the U.S., Heaton and Dyer were spotted in Paris during a press event to promote Stranger Things Season 2. They later toured the city and were photographed on the streets of the city.
A week later, they were back in London, where Heaton kissed Dyer in the middle of the street. One fan shared on X that Heaton had created the “greatest Pinterest board” with Dyer when he was getting destroyed by the media at the time.
i’m obsessed with the fact that charlie was getting destroyed by the media and his first thought to get them off his back was “let’s create the greatest pinterest board that people will still be raving about in 10 years time” and it worked. he made history. pic.twitter.com/oI1o6EajRm
— andie (@ronancecore) November 17, 2025
Heaton and Dyer first met when they did a chemistry test for Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers for the first season of their Netflix show. Even the show creators agreed that sparks flew between the two immediately on the set of the show. They have kept the relationship pretty private throughout the years. Heaton has a child, Archie Heaton, with his previous girlfriend, Akiko Matsuura.
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Charlie Heaton Opened Up About the Drug Possession Allegations
According to Associated Press, Charlie Heaton was denied entry into the U.S. after trace amounts of cocaine were found in his luggage. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection official told The Hollywood Reporter at the time, “Foreign nationals may be inadmissible due to the commission of a crime involving drug possession.”
In an interview with Flaunt Magazine in 2018, Heaton opened up about the drug possession incident. He shared that it was “f**king awful” not just for him, but also for his family. The media went to his parents’ house in Yorkshire, England, which Heaton shared was “upsetting” for his family.
He maintained that he wasn’t arrested or charged with any crime. He shared, “It was hard. Everything happened so fast, and I hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I was famous.” He shared that he felt “vulnerable” when his private life was discussed in the media.
He further told the outlet, “All of a sudden it becomes a very big story, and it gets really blown out of proportion.” At the time, he apologized to the fans of his show, sharing with PEOPLE, “We are all so proud of this season, and I would never want this story to negatively impact the show.” He also explained:
My planned travel to the U.S. last week was affected by an issue at U.S. immigration, and I am working to rectify it as soon as possible. I do want to clarify that I was not arrested or charged with a crime, and cooperated fully with the U.S. officials at LAX.
However, he was back in the U.S. less than a month later after he sorted out the issue. He shared with Flaunt at the time, “Yeah, it’s all sorted now. We go back [to filming] in April so I plan to go back to America next month, and yes, I can go back.” Fans were also glad that they could have Heaton back in the show’s second season.
Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer Relationship Timeline
Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer as Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler in Stranger Things | Credits: Netflix
September 2016: Charlie Heaton posts a photo of Natalia Dyer and two other friends during a trip together. He calls them “amigos” in the post. Later that month, Dyer posted a picture of Heaton on her Instagram with a red heart emoji in her caption.
October 2016: Heaton and Dyer dress up as characters from The Wizard of Oz for Halloween (via Instagram). He dressed up as the Scarecrow while she was the Cowardly Lion.
March 2017: They were confronted by a TMZ reporter at LAX, who asked them about their relationship status. She deflected the questions with the response, “Whether people are dating or hanging out, I think that our cast just is cool with each other.” When the reporter asked if they were dating, Dyer responded, “Have a nice day.”
October 2017: Dyer and Heaton confirmed their relationship after they were seen holding hands in New York City (via Elle).
November 2017: They were spotted kissing in the middle of the street in London, which came after Heaton’s issue at LAX regarding the drugs.
December 2017: They made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards 2017 in London.
January 2018: They went Insta-official after Heaton posted a sweet birthday message for Dyer on January 13. He wrote, “Happy 21st birthday! I hope it’s a great one, and I’m stoked to be working on this new series with you. I think it’s gonna be great.”
February 2019: Charlie Heaton opened up about the relationship for the first time during a cover story for V Man. He shared that he was happy to have a partner who was in the same industry.
He shared that he especially loved it when things “get stressed” on the set of the show. He shared, “So to go home with someone you work with, and say, ‘I think they hate me…’ They’ll say, ‘No they don’t.’” He shared:
You can break the walls down with your partner. Because we work in the same industry and have had similar trajectories, we’ve gone through it together. Sharing that does bring you closer. They understand something that maybe no one else would. You go into high-pressure situations together, but you can share those insecurities or whatever they are. The great, happy times, too… Really f**king sweet!
July 2019: Natalia Dyer told Refinery29 that it was “an interesting thing” to work with “somebody who you go home with.” She shared, “It’s always really fun. We’re really comfortable with each other, so we can play and feel more free, and we can talk about it before.”
Later that month, they took Vanity Fair‘s lie detector test, where they asked each other a series of questions. Dyer shared her first impression of Heaton during the chat, sharing, “You’re cool. You’re a cool guy. You’re a drummer in a band.”
They were also spotted in Italy towards the end of the month, enjoying a vacation from their Season 4 filming (via PEOPLE).
February 2020: Heaton shared with GQ why he kept the relationship with Dyer private. He shared, “We didn’t really know what the relationship was.”
May 2022: Dyer shared that she found it strange that people were interested in their relationship. She shared with Cosmopolitan:
Why do people want to know about it? I think it’s a natural instinct to want to know more about the people who are on your screens for hours, about what they’re like in real life. [But] now that I’ve experienced the other side of it… It sounds so cliché, but I’m just a person, too. Some people are very good about being open and sharing, and other people feel a little more comfortable holding some things for themselves.
February 2025: After staying away from the public eye for over a year, the couple showed up together at Burberry’s fall/winter 2025 show during London Fashion Week.
November 2025: They posed with Stranger Things co-stars at the LA premiere of the show’s fifth season.
What do you think of Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer’s romantic story? Let us know in the comments below!
